[CFM]

Not a dumb question at all! Unless you've been around AD&D 2nd Edition rules for a decade or two, it is a little strange.

I would agree that a single-class fighter with a full load of 5 NPCs, comprising a wide range of classes, is the best way to go for a beginner. Or at least until you're comfortable with spells, classes, abilities, and other game mechanics.

Regarding dual-classes... I'll use the NPC Imoen the Thief, dualling to a Wizard, as an example.

Imoen CAN dual from a Thief to a Wizard because:
- she is human
- the main ability score of her original class (DEX for a thief) is at least 15.
- the main ability score of her new 'dualled' class (INT for a wizard) is at least 17.

Imoen can NOT dual to a fighter or cleric bcause:
- the main ability score of the new 'dualled' class (STR for a fighter, WIS for a cleric) is not at least 17.

"Imoen the Thief" reaches Level 7 with 40k experience points (XP). You decide to dual her to a wizard. Her thief class becomes 'inactive' (can't pick locks or pockets or traps, can't wear Boots of Stealth, can't use a bow or sword, can't backstab, etc), and for all intensive purposes, she becomes a Level 1 Wizard with 0 XP. The only thing she keeps is the Hit Points she obtained as a thief.

From there on out, any XP gained is ONLY added to her wizard XP amount, i.e. the only class Imoen will EVER gain levels in is as a wizard.

When "Imoen the Wizard" reach Level 8 as a wizard with 90k 'wizard' XP (i.e. one level higher than her original thief class), her original thief class becomes 'active' again. She can pick locks or pockets or traps, wear Boots of Steath, use a bow or sword, backstab, etc, as the Level 7 thief she originally was. She will continue to gain levels ONLY as a wizard, but she can use her thief abilities and items too.

Important note: the game has a cap of 89k 'total' XP. Installing the TotSC expansion raises this cap to 161k 'total' XP (one of many good reasons to install the excellent expansion). Without the expansion installed, dualling Imoen the Thief at level 7 is a really bad idea, because she'll never be able to get to level 8 as a wizard (i.e. have her thief class become 'active' again), because of the XP cap. Dualling a character requires a little planning with the class XP level progression table, to be sure.

Dualled Imoen Upside: you got a wizard that can use a bow and use thief abilities, which may alleviate the need for another thief in the party (especially if you poured all her thieving points into Find Traps & Pick Locks before you dualled her).

Dualled Imoen Downside: you got a wizard that is 40k XP in the hole, compared with other single-classed wizards. And if Imoen is your only thief, you'll have to go thru a good chunk of the game without a thief, while you wait for Imoen's thief class to became 'active' again.